Cloud-based configurable transaction management controller and method thereof

ABSTRACT

Technologies for remotely managing payment authorization request messaging for payment transactions include a transaction management controller of one environment and a point of interaction device of another environment. The transaction management controller receives a transaction amount for a payment transaction from a business management engine. The payment transaction is based on a purchase transaction initiated by a merchant computing device of the other environment. The transaction management controller also receives payment card data from the point of interaction device, which is communicatively isolated from the merchant computing device and the business management engine. The transaction management controller inserts the transaction amount and the payment card data into a payment authorization request message, which is transmitted to a payment network. A payment authorization response message is received from the payment network and transmitted by the transaction management controller to the business management engine. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments of the technologies described herein relate, in general, tothe field of payment transactions. More particularly, the technologiesdescribed herein relate to the field of remotely managing paymentauthorization request messaging for payment transactions.

BACKGROUND

Merchants accept consumer payments for goods and services throughpoint-of-sale (“POS”) terminals and corresponding business applications.Configuring such POS terminals and business applications to accept andprocess payment transactions is a complex and time consuming process.For example, conventional POS terminals and business applications mustbe configured to support and communicate with various different paymentnetworks as well as a variety of different card readers and PIN pads.Such configuration typically requires sophisticated programmingknowledge in connection with payment processing transactions.Additionally, POS terminals are increasingly being required to becertified by various payment networks, a process which is also complexand time consuming.

SUMMARY

In an embodiment, the present disclosure is directed, in part, to amethod for remotely managing payment authorization request messaging forpayment transactions. The method includes receiving, by a transactionmanagement controller of an independent software vendor environment andfrom a business management engine of the independent software vendorenvironment, a transaction amount for a payment transaction. The paymenttransaction is based on a purchase transaction initiated by a merchantcomputing device of a merchant environment and the transaction amount isfor insertion by the transaction management controller into a paymentauthorization request message. The method further includes requesting,by the transaction management controller and from a point of interactiondevice of the merchant environment, payment card data for the paymentauthorization request message. In some embodiments, the businessmanagement engine and the merchant computing device are communicativelyisolated from the point of interaction device. In addition, the methodincludes receiving, by the transaction management controller and fromthe point of interaction device, the requested payment card data forinsertion by the transaction management controller into the paymentauthorization request message. The method also includes inserting, bythe transaction management controller, the payment card data receivedfrom the point of interaction device and the transaction amount receivedfrom the business management engine into the payment authorizationrequest message. The method further includes transmitting, by thetransaction management controller and to a payment network, the paymentauthorization request message and receiving, by the transactionmanagement controller and from the payment network, a paymentauthorization response message for the payment authorization requestmessage. The method also includes transmitting, by the transactionmanagement controller and to the business management engine, the paymentauthorization response message.

In another embodiment, the present disclosure is directed, in part, to amethod for remotely managing payment authorization request messaging forpayment transactions. The method includes receiving, by a transactionmanagement controller of a payments integrator environment and from abusiness management engine remote from the transaction managementcontroller, a transaction amount for a payment transaction. The paymenttransaction is based on a purchase transaction initiated by a merchantcomputing device of a merchant environment and the transaction amount isfor insertion by the transaction management controller into a paymentauthorization request message. The method further includes requesting,by the transaction management controller and from a point of interactiondevice of the merchant environment, payment card data for the paymentauthorization request message. In some embodiments, the merchantcomputing device and the business management engine are communicativelyisolated from the point of interaction device. In addition, the methodincludes receiving, by the transaction management controller and fromthe point of interaction device, the requested payment card data forinsertion by the transaction management controller into the paymentauthorization request message. The method also includes inserting, bythe transaction management controller, the payment card data receivedfrom the point of interaction device and the transaction amount receivedfrom the business management engine into the payment authorizationrequest message. The method further includes transmitting, by thetransaction management controller and to a payment network, the paymentauthorization request message and receiving, by the transactionmanagement controller and from the payment network, a paymentauthorization response message for the payment authorization requestmessage. The method also includes transmitting, by the transactionmanagement controller and to the business management engine, the paymentauthorization response message.

In yet another embodiment, the present disclosure is directed, in part,to a system for remotely managing payment authorization requestmessaging for payment transactions. The system includes an independentsoftware vendor environment, which includes a business management engineand a transaction management controller. The transaction managementcontroller includes a processor executing instructions stored in memory.The instructions cause the processor of the transaction managementcontroller to receive, from the business management engine, atransaction amount for a payment transaction. In some embodiments, thepayment transaction is based on a purchase transaction initiated by amerchant computing device of a merchant environment and the transactionamount is for insertion by the transaction management controller into apayment authorization request message. The instructions further causethe processor of the transaction management controller to request, froma point of interaction device of the merchant environment, payment carddata for the payment authorization request message. In some embodiments,the business management engine and the merchant computing device arecommunicatively isolated from the point of interaction device.Additionally, the instructions cause the processor of the transactionmanagement controller to receive, from the point of interaction device,the requested payment card data for insertion by the transactionmanagement controller into the payment authorization request message.The instructions also cause the processor of the transaction managementcontroller to insert the payment card data received from the point ofinteraction device and the transaction amount received from the businessmanagement engine into the payment authorization request message. Theinstructions further cause the processor of the transaction managementcontroller to transmit, to a payment network, the payment authorizationrequest message and receive, from the payment network, a paymentauthorization response message for the payment authorization requestmessage. The instructions also cause the processor of the transactionmanagement controller to transmit, to the business management engine,the payment authorization response message.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

It is believed that certain embodiments will be better understood fromthe following description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which like references indicate similar elements and inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a simplified block diagram of at least one embodiment of asystem for remotely managing payment authorization request messaging forpayment transactions;

FIG. 2 is a simplified block diagram of at least one embodiment of thetransaction management controller of the system of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3 is a simplified block diagram of at least one embodiment ofanother system for remotely managing payment authorization requestmessaging for payment transactions;

FIG. 4 is a simplified block diagram of at least one embodiment ofanother system for remotely managing payment authorization requestmessaging for payment transactions;

FIG. 5 is a simplified sequence flow diagram in accordance with at leastone non-limiting embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a simplified flow diagram of at least one embodiment of amethod that may be executed by the transaction management controller ofFIGS. 1-4 for remotely managing payment authorization request messagingfor payment transactions; and

FIG. 7 is a simplified flow diagram of at least one embodiment of amethod that may be executed by the transaction management controller ofFIGS. 1-4 for modifying payment processing features.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure will now bedescribed to provide an overall understanding of the principles of thestructure, function, and use of systems and methods disclosed herein.One or more examples of these non-limiting embodiments are illustratedin the selected examples disclosed and described in detail withreference made to the figures in the accompanying drawings. Those ofordinary skill in the art will understand that systems and methodsspecifically described herein and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings are non-limiting embodiments. The features illustrated ordescribed in connection with one non-limiting embodiment may be combinedwith the features of other non-limiting embodiments. Such modificationsand variations are intended to be included within the scope of thepresent disclosure.

The systems, apparatuses, devices, and methods disclosed herein aredescribed in detail by way of examples and with reference to thefigures. The examples discussed herein are examples only and areprovided to assist in the explanation of the apparatuses, devices,systems and methods described herein. None of the features or componentsshown in the drawings or discussed below should be taken as mandatoryfor any specific implementation of any of these the apparatuses,devices, systems or methods unless specifically designated as mandatory.In addition, elements illustrated in the figures are not necessarilydrawn to scale for simplicity and clarity of illustration. For ease ofreading and clarity, certain components, modules, or methods may bedescribed solely in connection with a specific figure. In thisdisclosure, any identification of specific techniques, arrangements,etc. are either related to a specific example presented or are merely ageneral description of such a technique, arrangement, etc.Identifications of specific details or examples are not intended to be,and should not be, construed as mandatory or limiting unlessspecifically designated as such. Any failure to specifically describe acombination or sub-combination of components should not be understood asan indication that any combination or sub-combination is not possible.It will be appreciated that modifications to disclosed and describedexamples, arrangements, configurations, components, elements,apparatuses, devices, systems, methods, etc. can be made and may bedesired for a specific application. Also, for any methods described,regardless of whether the method is described in conjunction with a flowdiagram, it should be understood that unless otherwise specified orrequired by context, any explicit or implicit ordering of stepsperformed in the execution of a method does not imply that those stepsmust be performed in the order presented but instead may be performed ina different order or in parallel.

Reference throughout the specification to “various embodiments,” “someembodiments,” “one embodiment,” “some example embodiments,” “one exampleembodiment,” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature,structure, or characteristic described in connection with any embodimentis included in at least one embodiment. Thus, appearances of the phrases“in various embodiments,” “in some embodiments,” “in one embodiment,”“some example embodiments,” “one example embodiment, or “in anembodiment” in places throughout the specification are not necessarilyall referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particularfeatures, structures or characteristics may be combined in any suitablemanner in one or more embodiments.

Throughout this disclosure, references to components or modulesgenerally refer to items that logically can be grouped together toperform a function or group of related functions. Like referencenumerals are generally intended to refer to the same or similarcomponents. Components and modules can be implemented in software,hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. The term “software”is used expansively to include not only executable code, for examplemachine-executable or machine-interpretable instructions, but also datastructures, data stores and computing instructions stored in anysuitable electronic format, including firmware, and embedded software.The terms “information” and “data” are used expansively and includes awide variety of electronic information, including executable code;content such as text, video data, and audio data, among others; andvarious codes or flags. The terms “information,” “data,” and “content”are sometimes used interchangeably when permitted by context. It shouldbe noted that although for clarity and to aid in understanding someexamples discussed herein might describe specific features or functionsas part of a specific component or module, or as occurring at a specificlayer of a computing device (for example, a hardware layer, operatingsystem layer, or application layer), those features or functions may beimplemented as part of a different component or module or operated at adifferent layer of a communication protocol stack. Those of ordinaryskill in the art will recognize that the systems, apparatuses, devices,and methods described herein can be applied to, or easily modified foruse with, other types of equipment, can use other arrangements ofcomputing systems such as client-server distributed systems, and can useother protocols, or operate at other layers in communication protocolstacks, than are described.

For simplicity, the description that follows will be provided byreference to a “payment vehicle” or a “payment card,” which generallyrefers to any type of financial alternative to currency. As is to beclear to those skilled in the art, no aspect of the present disclosureis specifically limited to a specific type of payment vehicle or paymentcard. Therefore, it is intended that the following descriptionencompasses the use of the present disclosure with many other forms offinancial alternatives to currency, including credit cards, debit cards,smart cards, single-use cards, pre-paid cards, electronic currency (suchas might be provided through a cellular telephone or personal digitalassistant), and the like. Payment vehicles or payment card can betraditional plastic transaction cards, titanium-containing, or othermetal-containing, transaction cards, clear and/or translucenttransaction cards, foldable or otherwise unconventionally-sizedtransaction cards, radio-frequency enabled transaction cards, or othertypes of transaction cards, such as credit, charge, debit, pre-paid orstored-value cards, or any other like financial transaction instrument.

Referring now to FIG. 1 , in one embodiment, a system 100 for remotelymanaging payment authorization request messaging for paymenttransactions includes an independent software vendor (ISV) environment110, a merchant environment 120, and a payment network 130. In theillustrative embodiment, the ISV environment 110 and the merchantenvironment 120 are separate and distinct computing and/or communicationenvironments. Additionally, in some embodiments, the system 100 includesa configuration device 116.

In some embodiments, the merchant environment 120 is defined by amerchant-specific system architecture or computing environment, whichcan be made up of various communication networks and computing devices(e.g., sales terminals, back-end servers, payment entry devices, cardreaders, mobile devices, etc.) that facilitate the sale of goods and/orservices for a particular merchant, retailer, service provider, vendor,or any other type of entity that sells, or offers to sell, a good and/orservice. It should be appreciated that one or more devices of themerchant environment 120 can be controlled and/or operated by a specificmerchant to support internal sales and accounting activities for thatmerchant. In the illustrative embodiment, the merchant environment 120includes a merchant computing device 122 and a point of interactiondevice 124. Of course, the merchant environment 120 may include othercomputing devices or architectures commonly used by retail merchants,which are not illustrated in FIG. 1 for clarity of the description.

In some embodiments, the ISV environment 110 is defined by avendor-specific system architecture or computing environment, which canbe made up of various communication networks and computing devices(e.g., servers, controllers, computing devices, etc.) that facilitatethe provision of electronic services or products (e.g., software as aservice (SaaS), software products, remote processing, cloud-basedservices, etc.) to merchants and other entities. It should beappreciated that one or more devices of the ISV environment 110 can becontrolled and/or operated by a software and/or electronic servicevendor to support all or a portion of sales and accounting activitiesfor one or more merchants. In the illustrative embodiment, the ISVenvironment includes a business management engine 114 and a transactionmanagement controller 112. In some embodiments, the business managementengine 114 and the transaction management controller 112 may not beseparate devices or components. Rather, the business management engine114 may include the transaction management controller 112, in someembodiments. Of course, the ISV environment 110 may include othercomputing devices or architectures commonly used by software and/orelectronic service vendors, which are not illustrated in FIG. 1 forclarity of the description. As discussed, the ISV environment 110 can bea separate and distinct computing and/or communication environment fromthe merchant environment 120.

In operation, a purchase transaction is initiated by the merchantcomputing device 122 of the merchant environment 120. The merchantcomputing device 122 of the merchant environment 120 communicates withthe business management engine 114 of the ISV environment 110 inconnection with the purchase transaction. Subsequently, the transactionmanagement controller 112 receives a payment request from the businessmanagement engine 114 in connection with a payment transactioncorresponding to the purchase transaction. The payment request includesa transaction amount and can be embodied as a Hypertext TransferProtocol (HTTP) message. After receiving the payment request, thetransaction management controller 112 of the ISV environment 110requests payment card data (e.g., a payment card number, a payment cardtype, etc.) for the payment transaction from the POI device 124 (e.g., acard reader, a PIN pad, etc.) of the merchant environment 120. In theillustrative embodiment, the POI device 124 is communicatively isolatedfrom the merchant computing device 122 and the business managementengine 114.

Once the payment card data is received from the POI device 124, thetransaction management controller 112 inserts the received transactionamount and the payment card data into a payment authorization requestmessage. The transaction management controller 112 transmits the paymentauthorization request message to the payment network 130, which asdescribed in more detail below, can be embodied as, or otherwiseinclude, a payment gateway (not shown). A payment authorization responsemessage is then received from the payment network 130 (or the paymentgateway) in response to the payment authorization request message. Thetransaction management controller 112 transmits the received paymentauthorization response message to the business management engine 114.

In some embodiments, the transaction management controller 112 isconfigured to interface with and control features and/or functionalityof the POI device 124. For example, in some embodiments, the transactionmanagement controller 112 can be configured to control selectableoptions (e.g., payment card type selections, cashback selections,transaction amount verification, language selections, etc.) that are tobe displayed to a consumer via the POI device 124. Additionally oralternatively, the transaction management controller 112 can beconfigured to control payment transaction processing features (e.g.,signature prompting features, PIN entry features, customizedinformational display screens, scrolling receipt features, etc.)provided by the POI device 124. Additionally, in some embodiments, thetransaction management controller 112 can manage multiple POI devices(not shown) of the merchant environment 120. For example, thetransaction management controller 112 can be configured to controlmultiple POI devices of a multi-lane merchant environment such as theone described in commonly-owned U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/755,320, entitled “CONFIGURABLE TRANSACTION MANAGEMENT CONTROLLER ANDMETHOD THEREOF,” which is hereby incorporated by reference in itsentirety.

The transaction management controller 112 can be embodied as any type ofcomputing device or server or capable of processing, communicating,storing, maintaining, and transferring data. For example, thetransaction management controller 112 can be embodied as a server, amicrocomputer, a minicomputer, a mainframe, a desktop computer, a laptopcomputer, a mobile computing device, a handheld computer, a smart phone,a tablet computer, a personal digital assistant, a telephony device, acustom chip, an embedded processing device, or other computing deviceand/or suitable programmable device. In some embodiments, thetransaction management controller 112 can be embodied as a computingdevice integrated with other systems or subsystems. In the illustrativeembodiment of FIG. 2 , the transaction management controller 112includes a processor 204, a system bus 206, a memory 208, a data storage210, communication circuitry 212, and one or more peripheral devices214. Of course, the transaction management controller 112 can includeother or additional components, such as those commonly found in a serverand/or computer (e.g., various input/output devices), in otherembodiments. Additionally, in some embodiments, one or more of theillustrative components can be incorporated in, or otherwise from aportion of, another component. For example, the memory 208, or portionsthereof, can be incorporated in the processor 204 in some embodiments.Furthermore, it should be appreciated that the transaction managementcontroller 112 can include other components, sub-components, and devicescommonly found in a computer and/or computing device, which are notillustrated in FIG. 2 for clarity of the description.

The processor 204 can be embodied as any type of processor capable ofperforming the functions described herein. For example, the processor204 can be embodied as a single or multi-core processor, a digitalsignal processor, microcontroller, a general purpose central processingunit (CPU), a reduced instruction set computer (RISC) processor, aprocessor having a pipeline, a complex instruction set computer (CISC)processor, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), aprogrammable logic device (PLD), a field programmable gate array (FPGA),or other processor or processing/controlling circuit or controller.

In various configurations, the transaction management controller 112includes a system bus 206 for interconnecting the various components ofthe transaction management controller 112. The system bus 206 can beembodied as, or otherwise include, memory controller hubs, input/outputcontrol hubs, firmware devices, communication links (i.e.,point-to-point links, bus links, wires, cables, light guides, printedcircuit board traces, etc.) and/or other components and subsystems tofacilitate the input/output operations with the processor 204, thememory 208, and other components of the transaction managementcontroller 112. In some embodiments, the transaction managementcontroller 112 can be integrated into one or more chips such as aprogrammable logic device or an application specific integrated circuit(ASIC). In such embodiments, the system bus 206 can form a portion of asystem-on-a-chip (SoC) and be incorporated, along with the processor204, the memory 208, and other components of the transaction managementcontroller 112, on a single integrated circuit chip.

The memory 208 can be embodied as any type of volatile or non-volatilememory or data storage capable of performing the functions describedherein. For example, the memory 208 can be embodied as read only memory(ROM), random access memory (RAM), cache memory associated with theprocessor 204, or other memories such as dynamic RAM (DRAM), static RAM(SRAM), programmable ROM (PROM), electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM),flash memory, a removable memory card or disk, a solid state drive, andso forth. In operation, the memory 208 can store various data andsoftware used during operation of the transaction management controller112 such as operating systems, applications, programs, libraries, anddrivers.

The data storage 210 can be embodied as any type of device or devicesconfigured for short-term or long-term storage of data such as, forexample, memory devices and circuits, memory cards, hard disk drives,solid-state drives, or other data storage devices. For example, in someembodiments, the data storage 210 includes storage media such as astorage device that can be configured to have multiple modules, such asmagnetic disk drives, floppy drives, tape drives, hard drives, opticaldrives and media, magneto-optical drives and media, Compact Disc (CD)drives, Compact Disc Read Only Memory (CD-ROM), Compact Disc Recordable(CD-R), Compact Disc Rewriteable (CD-RW), a suitable type of DigitalVersatile Disc (DVD) or Blu-Ray disc, and so forth. Storage media suchas flash drives, solid state hard drives, redundant array of individualdisks (RAID), virtual drives, networked drives and other memory meansincluding storage media on the processor 204, or the memory 208 are alsocontemplated as storage devices. It should be appreciated that suchmemory can be internal or external with respect to operation of thedisclosed embodiments. It should also be appreciated that certainportions of the processes described herein can be performed usinginstructions stored on a computer-readable medium or media that director otherwise instruct a computer system to perform the process steps.Non-transitory computer-readable media, as used herein, comprises allcomputer-readable media except for transitory, propagating signals.

In some embodiments, the data storage device 110 can be configured tostore a set of local payment processing features of the transactionmanagement controller 112. Each feature can be configured to providedifferent functionality of the transaction management controller 112and/or the POI device 124. As such, each feature can be toggled “on” ortoggled “off” to control the features provided by the transactionmanagement controller 112 and/or the POI device 124. The local paymentprocessing features can include device configuration features and/orsettings (e.g., listening port settings, security settings, usersettings, etc.), transaction professing features and/or settings (e.g.,partial approval features, transaction amount confirmation features,cashback features, accepted payment card settings, supported languagesettings, transaction gratuity features, signature requirement features,transaction store and forward features, etc.), multilane features and/orsettings (e.g., lane identification features, lane initializationsettings, etc.), POI device 124 features and/or settings (e.g., terminaltype settings, driver configurations, communication settings, etc.), andany other type of payment processing feature or configuration settingfor the transaction management controller 112 or a device controlled ormanaged thereby (e.g., the POI device 124).

The communication circuitry 212 of the transaction management controller112 may be embodied as any type of communication circuit, device,interface, or collection thereof, capable of enabling communicationsbetween the transaction management controller 112 and the businessmanagement engine 114, merchant computing device 122, POI device 124,payment network 130, configuration device 116, and/or any othercomputing device communicatively coupled thereto. For example, thecommunication circuitry 212 may be embodied as one or more networkinterface controllers (NICs), in some embodiments. The communicationcircuitry 212 may be configured to use any one or more communicationtechnologies (e.g., wireless or wired communications) and associatedprotocols (e.g., Ethernet, WiMAX, etc.) to effect such communication.

In some embodiments, the transaction management controller 112, businessmanagement engine 114, merchant computing device 122, POI device 124,payment network 130, configuration device 116, and/or any othercomputing devices of the system 100, can communicate with each otherover one or more networks. The network(s) can be embodied as any numberof various wired and/or wireless communication networks. For example,the network(s) can be embodied as or otherwise include a local areanetwork (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a cellular network, or apublicly-accessible, global network such as the Internet. Additionally,the network(s) can include any number of additional devices tofacilitate communication between the computing devices of the system100.

Additionally, in some embodiments, the transaction management controller112 can further include one or more peripheral devices 214. Suchperipheral devices 214 can include any type of peripheral devicecommonly found in a computing device such as additional data storage,speakers, a hardware keyboard, a keypad, a gesture or graphical inputdevice, a motion input device, a touchscreen interface, one or moredisplays, an audio unit, a voice recognition unit, a vibratory device, acomputer mouse, a peripheral communication device, and any othersuitable user interface, input/output device, and/or other peripheraldevice.

Referring back to FIG. 1 , the business management engine 114 can beembodied as any type of computing device capable of performing thefunctions described herein. As such, the business management engine 114can include devices and structures commonly found in computing devicessuch as processors, memory devices, communication circuitry, and datastorages, which are not shown in FIG. 1 for clarity of the description.The business management engine 114 can be configured to perform certainbusiness-related functions, such as, without limitation, salestabulation, inventory management, scheduling, accounting processes,payroll, and the like. As is to be appreciated, the particularbusiness-related functions facilitated by a business management enginemay depend on the needs of the particular business (e.g., merchant)utilizing the business management engine. In this regard, a businessmanagement engine of a salon may provide different business-relatedfunctions than that of a specialty retailer, for example. It should beappreciated, however, that the business management engine 114 (and theother components of the system 100) may be associated with and providebusiness-related functions for any other types of merchants orindustries (e.g., restaurants, retail, lodging, car rental agencies,etc.). In some embodiments, such as the one illustratively shown in FIG.1 , the business management engine 114 is a back-end system or serverconfigured to provide part or all of the business-related functions of aparticular merchant. In such embodiments, the business management engine114 may be configured to communicate with the merchant computing device122 of the merchant environment 120 to provide such business-relatedfunctions (or portions thereof).

Additionally, in some embodiments, the business management engine 114 isconfigured to initiate payment transactions, each of which cancorrespond to a purchase transaction initiated by the merchant computingdevice 122 of the merchant environment 120. As discussed in more detailbelow, the business management engine 114 is configured to communicatewith the transaction management controller 112 to facilitate processingsuch payment transactions. For example, in some embodiments, thebusiness management engine 114 is configured to transmit a paymentrequest to the transaction management controller 112. The paymentrequest can be embodied as an HTTP message that includes the amount ofthe transaction. Additionally, the business management engine 114 can beconfigured to receive a payment authorization response message from thetransaction management controller 112. As discussed in more detailbelow, the business management engine 114 can be communicativelyisolated from the POI device 124 (e.g., not in direct communication withthe POI device 124). As such, instead of being directly connected to thePOI device 124, the business management engine 114 is communicativelycoupled to the transaction management controller 112, which managescommunications with the POI device 124. It should be appreciated that indoing so, the complexity of configuring (e.g., coding, certification,initialization, etc.) of the business management engine 114 is reduced.

Additionally, in some embodiments, the business management engine 114can transmit data to the transaction management controller 112 forsubsequent display on the POI device 124 during a purchase or paymenttransaction. For example, in some embodiments, the business managementengine 114 can be configured to transmit scrolling receipt data to thetransaction management device 102. In turn, the transaction managementdevice 102 can transmit the scrolling receipt data to the POI device124. In such embodiments, the scrolling receipt data can include productscan data (e.g., product identifiers, product names, productdescriptions, etc.) and product sales price data. It should beappreciated that the scrolling receipt data can include any other typeof data associated with a purchase or payment transaction.

The business management engine 114 can also transmit payment detailsand/or a transaction summary to the merchant computing device 122. Forexample, in some embodiments, the business management engine 114 isconfigured to also transmit received payment authorization responsemessages, or payment details derived from received payment authorizationmessages, to the merchant computing device 122 for display or review.Additionally, the business management engine 114 can be configured totransmit transaction summary data (e.g., product scan data, productname, product descriptions, prices, calculated taxes, totals, etc.) tothe merchant computing device 122 for display or review.

As discussed, the merchant environment 120 can include the merchantcomputing device 122 and the point of interaction device 124. Themerchant computing device 122 can be embodied as any type of computingdevice capable of performing the functions described herein. Forexample, in the illustrative embodiment, the merchant computing device122 can be embodied as a mobile computing device, a handheld computer, asmart phone, a tablet computer, a personal digital assistant, a laptopcomputer, a desktop computer, an electronic cash register, a server, amicrocomputer, a minicomputer, a mainframe, a telephony device, a customchip, an embedded processing device, or other computing device and/orsuitable programmable device. As such, the merchant computing device 122can include devices and structures commonly found in computing devicessuch as processors, memory devices, communication circuitry, and datastorages, which are not shown in FIG. 1 for clarity of the description.In some embodiments, the merchant computing device 122 iscommunicatively isolated from the POI device 124.

As discussed above, in some embodiments, the business management engine114 may be configured to provide part or all of the business-relatedfunctions of a particular merchant. In such embodiments, the merchantcomputing device 122 can be configured to communicate with the businessmanagement engine 114 to utilize those business-related functions. To doso, the merchant computing device 122 can include one or moreapplications to facilitate communications with the business managementengine 114. For example, in some embodiments, the merchant computingdevice 122 may be a tablet computing device that includes a businessapplication or a web browser configured to communicate with the businessmanagement engine 114. In such embodiments, the business managementengine 114 can be configured to provide one or more business-relatedfunctions to the tablet computing device (e.g., the merchant computingdevice 122) via the business application and/or the web browser. Itshould be appreciated, however, that the merchant computing device 122may be embodied as any other type of computing device that includes anyother technology for communicating with the business management engine114 to cooperatively provide all or a portion of a business-relatedfunction.

The point of interaction (POI) device 124 can be embodied as any type ofcomputing or payment device capable of performing the functionsdescribed herein. For example, in the illustrative embodiment, the POIdevice 124 can be embodied as a card reader or a PIN pad configured tofacilitate receipt of a payment card for a payment transaction (e.g., acredit or debit transaction). The POI device 124 can include devices andstructures commonly found in computing and payment devices such asprocessors, memory devices, communication circuitry, and data storages,which are not shown in FIG. 1 for clarity of the description. Forexample, in some embodiments, the POI device 124 can include paymenthardware and functionality configured for receiving traditional paymentcards containing magnetic stripes (e.g., magstripes, swipe cards, etc.).Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the POI device 124can include integrated circuit payment hardware and functionalityconfigured for receiving a EUROPAY, MASTERCARD, AND VISA (EMV) paymentcard or other smartcard. Of course, the POI device 124 can include anyother type of payment hardware and functionality for receiving a paymentcard or vehicle.

As discussed, in some embodiments, the POI device 124 is communicativelyisolated from the merchant computing device 122. In some embodiments,the POI device 124 is also communicatively isolated from the businessmanagement engine 114. In such embodiments, the POI device 124 insteadcommunicates directly with the transaction management controller 112 viaa wired or wireless communication link (i.e., a point-to-point link, buslink, wire, cable, light guide, wireless link, etc.). As such, the POIdevice 124 can be controlled by the transaction management controller112, which can include the necessary drivers to do so.

The payment network 130 can be, for example, a network of a credit cardassociation affiliated with a payment vehicle or payment card (e.g.,credit cards, debit cards, smart cards, single-use cards, pre-paidcards, electronic currency, etc.), which generally refers to any type offinancial alternative to currency. Non-limiting examples of credit cardassociations include VISA, MASTERCARD, DISCOVER, and AMERICAN EXPRESS.In some embodiments, the payment network 130 receives a paymentauthorization request message from the transaction management controller112 for a payment transaction. The payment network 130 can provide thepayment authorization request message to a payment processing server ofan issuer processor, which in turn can provide the payment authorizationrequest message to an issuer financial institution. The issuer financialinstitution can then associate the payment vehicle or payment card usedwith an account held by the issuer financial institution. Thereafter,the issuer financial institution can transmit a payment authorizationresponse message to the payment network 130 via the issuer processor. Inresponse to receiving the payment authorization response message, thepayment network 130 can transmit the payment authorization responsemessage to the transaction management controller 112. In someembodiments, the payment network 130 includes a payment gateway (notshown) configured to facilitate the transaction management controller112 or, more generally, merchants in processing payment transactions.

The configuration device 116 can be embodied as any type of computingdevice capable of performing the functions described herein. As such,the configuration device 116 can include devices and structures commonlyfound in computing devices such as processors, memory devices,communication circuitry, and data storages, which are not shown in FIG.1 for clarity of the description. In some embodiments, the configurationdevice 116 is configured to configure and/or manage payment processingfeatures of the transaction management controller 112, multipletransaction management controllers (not shown), and/or other devices ofthe system 100 (e.g., the POI device 124). To do so, the configurationdevice 116 can generate one or more feature modification message, whichcan be transmitted to the transaction management controller. Asdiscussed in more detail below, the feature modification message caninclude configuration data, which can be used by the transactionmanagement controller 112 to add or modify a local payment processingfeature. In embodiments in which the configuration device 116 isconfigured to configure and/or manage multiple transaction managementcontrollers, the configuration device 116 can selectively transmitfeature modification messages to each transaction management controller.Additionally, it should be appreciated that the configuration device 116can be local or remote to any one of the environments (e.g., the ISVenvironment 110, the merchant environment 120, and the paymentsintegrator environment 330) of the systems 100, 300, 400 illustrativelyshown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4 .

In some embodiments, the transaction management controller 112, thebusiness management engine 114, the merchant computing device 122, thepoint of interaction device 124, the payment network 130 (or computingdevices thereof), and the configuration device 116 can each establish anenvironment during operation. Each environment can include variousmodules, components, sub-components, and devices commonly found incomputing devices, which are not illustrated in the figures for clarityof the description. The various modules, components, sub-components, anddevices of each environment can be embodied as hardware, firmware,software, or a combination thereof. For example, one or more of themodules, components, sub-components, and devices of each environment canbe embodied as a processor and/or a controller configured to provide thefunctionality described herein.

Referring now to FIG. 3 , in another embodiment, a system 300 forremotely managing payment authorization request messaging for paymenttransactions includes the independent software vendor (ISV) environment110, the merchant environment 120, and the payment network 130. Asillustratively shown, the ISV environment 110 includes the businessmanagement engine 114 and the merchant environment 120 includes themerchant computing device 122 and the point of interaction device 124.It should be appreciated that one or more of the devices andenvironments illustratively shown in FIG. 3 may be substantially similarto the corresponding devices and environments illustratively shown anddescribed with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2 .

Additionally, as illustratively shown, the system 300 includes apayments integrator environment 330. In some embodiments, the paymentsintegrator environment 330 is defined by a payments integrator-specificsystem architecture or computing environment, which can be made up ofvarious communication networks and computing devices (e.g., servers,controllers, computing devices, etc.) that facilitate the provision ofpayment integration services or products to independent softwarevendors, merchants, or any other entity that receives, facilitatesreceipt of, or processes payments. It should be appreciated that one ormore devices of the payments integrator environment 330 can becontrolled and/or operated by a payments integration vendor and/or apayments processor to provide the payment processing and/or integrationservices discussed herein. As illustratively shown, the paymentsintegrator environment 330 includes the transaction managementcontroller 112 and, in some embodiments, the configuration device 116.Of course, the payments integrator environment 330 may include othercomputing devices or architectures commonly used by integration vendorsand/or payment processors, which are not illustrated in FIG. 3 forclarity of the description. As shown, the payments integratorenvironment 330 can be a separate and distinct computing and/orcommunication environment from the ISV environment 110 and the merchantenvironment 120.

In some embodiments, the business management engine 114 of the ISVenvironment 110 of the system 300 is configured to initiate paymenttransactions, each of which can correspond to a purchase transactioninitiated by the merchant computing device 122 of the merchantenvironment 120. In such embodiments, the business management engine 114of the ISV environment 110 is configured to communicate with thetransaction management controller 112 of the payments integratorenvironment 330 to facilitate processing such payment transactions. Forexample, in some embodiments, the business management engine 114 of theISV environment 110 is configured to transmit a payment request to thetransaction management controller 112 of the payments integratorenvironment 330. The payment request can be embodied as an HTTP messagethat includes the amount of the transaction. Additionally, the businessmanagement engine 114 can be configured to receive a paymentauthorization response message from the transaction managementcontroller 112. As discussed, the business management engine 114 of theISV environment 110 can be communicatively isolated from the POI device124 (e.g., not in direct communication with the POI device 124) of themerchant environment 120. As such, instead of being directly connectedto the POI device 124 of the merchant environment 120, the businessmanagement engine 114 of the ISV environment 110 is communicativelycoupled to the transaction management controller 112 of the paymentsintegrator environment 330, which manages communications with the POIdevice 124. It should be appreciated that in doing so, the complexity ofconfiguring (e.g., coding, certification, initialization, etc.) of thebusiness management engine 114 is reduced.

Referring now to FIG. 4 , in another embodiment, a system 400 forremotely managing payment authorization request messaging for paymenttransactions includes the merchant environment 120, the paymentsintegrator environment 330, and the payment network 130. Asillustratively shown, the merchant environment 120 includes the point ofinteraction device 124 and the merchant computing device 122, which mayinclude the business management engine 114, in some embodiments.Additionally, the illustrative payments integrator environment 330includes the transaction management controller 112 and, in someembodiments, the configuration device 116. It should be appreciated thatone or more of the devices illustratively shown in FIG. 4 may besubstantially similar to the corresponding devices and environmentsillustratively shown and described with respect to FIGS. 1-3 .

In some embodiments, the business management engine 114 of the merchantenvironment 120 of the system 400 is configured to initiate paymenttransactions, each of which can correspond to a purchase transactioninitiated by the merchant computing device 122 of the merchantenvironment 120. In such embodiments, the business management engine 114of the merchant environment 120 is configured to communicate with thetransaction management controller 112 of the payments integratorenvironment 330 to facilitate processing such payment transactions. Forexample, in some embodiments, the business management engine 114 of themerchant environment 120 is configured to transmit a payment request tothe transaction management controller 112 of the payments integratorenvironment 330. The payment request can be embodied as an HTTP messagethat includes the amount of the transaction. Additionally, the businessmanagement engine 114 can be configured to receive a paymentauthorization response message from the transaction managementcontroller 112. As illustratively shown, the business management engine114 of the merchant environment 120 can be communicatively isolated fromthe POI device 124 (e.g., not in direct communication with the POIdevice 124) of the merchant environment 120. As such, instead of beingdirectly connected to the POI device 124 of the merchant environment120, the business management engine 114 of the merchant environment 120is communicatively coupled to the transaction management controller 112of the payments integrator environment 330, which manages communicationswith the POI device 124 of the merchant environment 120. It should beappreciated that in doing so, the complexity of configuring (e.g.,coding, certification, initialization, etc.) of the business managementengine 114 is reduced.

Referring now to FIG. 5 , a process 500 that may be executed by thedevices of the systems 100, 300, 400 begins with process flow 502. Inprocess flow 502, the merchant computing device 122 initiates a purchasetransaction. The purchase transaction may be associated with the sale ofa good or a service by a merchant, retailer, or other entity. In someembodiments, the purchase transaction can be initiated viabusiness-related functionality and/or business software executing on, orelectronically accessed by, the merchant computing device 122 during asale. As discussed, in some embodiments, all or a portion of thebusiness-related functionality can be provided by the businessmanagement engine 114, which may either be remote from the merchantcomputing device 122 or form a part of the merchant computing device122. For example, during a purchase transaction occurring at abrick-and-mortar location of a merchant, a salesperson may use themerchant computing device 122 to enter a product identifier and/or aprice of each product being purchased into a retail sales system, thefunctionality of which (or a portion of the functionality) may beprovided by the business management engine 114.

In process flow 504, the merchant computing device 122 may transmitdetails corresponding to the transaction to the business managementengine 114. The transaction details can include product scan data (e.g.,product identifiers) and corresponding price data. In some embodiments,the transaction details can include a total price for the purchasetransaction.

In process flow 506, the business management engine 114 transmits apayment request to the transaction management controller 112. Thepayment request includes a transaction amount and can be embodied as aHypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) message. In embodiments in which thepayment request is an HTTP message, the payment request can be embodiedas an HTTP POST request or an HTTP PUT request. In such embodiments, oneor more payment request parameters (e.g., transaction amount, paymenttype, etc.) can be sent to the transaction management controller 112within a uniform resource locator (URL) that corresponds to thetransaction management controller 112. Additionally or alternatively,the payment request can be embodied as an HTTP GET request or an HTTPDELETE request. In such embodiments, one or more of the payment requestparameters can be sent to the transaction management controller 112within the body of the HTTP message sent to the transaction managementcontroller 112. It should be appreciated that, in some embodiments, thetransaction management controller 112 can be a component of a computingenvironment (e.g., the ISV environment 110, the payments integratorenvironment 330, etc.) separate from the computing environment (e.g.,the merchant computing environment 120) of the merchant computing device122 that initiated the purchase transaction.

Subsequently, in process flow 508, the transaction management controller112 requests payment card data for the initiated payment transactionfrom the POI device 124. In some embodiments, in processes flow 508, thetransaction management controller 112 additionally manages paymentselection options provided to a consumer via the POI device 124. Forexample, the transaction management controller 112 can transmit one ormore instructions to the POI device 124 that cause the POI device 124 todisplay one or more selectable options (e.g., payment card typeselection options, cashback selection options, language selectionoptions, etc.) to a consumer. Additionally, as discussed above, thetransaction management controller 112 can control other features and/orfunctions of the POI device 124 corresponding to a payment transaction.

In process flow 510, the POI device 124 transmits the payment card datato the transaction management controller 112. The payment card data canbe captured by the POI device 124 in response to receipt of the requestfrom the transaction management controller 112. Additionally, inembodiments in which the transaction management controller 112 managesthe payment selection options provided to the consumer during thepayment transaction, the selected options can be transmitted by the POIdevice 124 to the transaction management controller 112.

Subsequently, in process flow 512, the transaction management controller112 transmits transaction data for the payment transaction to thepayment network 130 for processing. To do so, the transaction managementcontroller inserts or incorporates the transaction amount received fromthe business management engine 114 and the payment card data receivedfrom the POI device 124 into a payment authorization request message. Insome embodiments, the payment authorization request message can beembodied as a HTTP message. Additionally, in some embodiments, thepayment network 130 includes a payment gateway. In such embodiments, thepayment gateway is configured to receive the payment authorizationrequest message from the transaction management controller 112.

In process flow 514, the payment network 130 processes the paymenttransaction based on the payment authorization response message receivedfrom the transaction management controller 112. As discussed, thepayment network 130 is configured to receive and forward the paymentauthorization request message to an issuer financial institution via anissuer processor. Thereafter, the issuer financial institutionassociates the received payment card number with an account held and/ormaintained by the issuer financial institution. After associating thereceived payment card number with an account, the issuer financialinstitution generates a payment authorization response message. Thepayment authorization response message can then be transmitted to thepayment network 130 via the issuer processor. Next, in process flow 516,the payment network 130 (or the payment gateway of the payment network130) transmits the received payment authorization response message tothe transaction management controller 112.

Subsequently, in process flow 518, the transaction management controller112 and the POI device 124 finalize the payment transaction and, in someembodiments, the payment authorization response message. For example, insome embodiment, the transaction management controller 112 can instructthe POI device 124 to capture a signature for the payment transaction.Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, an integratedcircuit payment card (e.g., an EMV card or other smartcard) can beinserted into the POI device 124, which can include correspondingintegrated circuit payment hardware and functionality. In suchembodiments, the transaction management controller 112 can instruct thePOI device 124 to write payment transaction data or account data back tothe integrated circuit payment card. It should be appreciated that thetransaction management controller 112 and the POI device 124 can performany other function to finalize the payment transaction.

In process flow 520, the transaction management controller 112 transmitsthe finalized payment authorization response message to the businessmanagement engine 114. In some embodiments, the business managementengine 114 generates a receipt for the payment transaction based atleast in part on, or otherwise as a function of, the finalized paymentauthorization response message received from the transaction managementcontroller 112.

In some embodiments, in process flow 522, the business management engine114 transmits payment details and/or a transaction summary to themerchant computing device 122. For example, in some embodiments, thebusiness management engine 114 transmits received payment authorizationresponse messages, or payment details derived from received paymentauthorization messages, to the merchant computing device 122 for displayor review. Additionally or alternatively, the business management engine114 transmits transaction summary data (e.g., product scan data, productname, product descriptions, prices, calculated taxes, totals, etc.) tothe merchant computing device 122 for display or review.

Referring now to FIG. 6 , a method 600 that may be executed by thetransaction management controller 112 for managing payment authorizationrequest messaging for payment transactions begins with decision block602. In decision block 602, the transaction management controller 112determines whether a payment request for a payment transaction isreceived from the business management engine 114. The payment requestcan include a transaction amount and can be embodied as a HypertextTransfer Protocol (HTTP) message. If, in decision block 602, thetransaction management controller 112 determines that a payment requestis received, the method 600 advances to block 604. If, however, thetransaction management controller 112 determines instead that a paymentrequest is not received, the method 600 loops back to decision block 602and the transaction management controller 112 continues monitoring forreceipt of a payment request.

In block 604, the transaction management controller 112 requests paymentcard data for the payment transaction from the POI device 124. In someembodiments, in block 606, the transaction management controller managesselection options of the POI device 124 for the payment transaction. Forexample, the transaction management controller 112 can transmit one ormore instructions to the POI device 124 that cause the POI device 124 todisplay payment card type selection options, cashback selection options,language selection options, or any other type of option selectable by aconsumer during a payment transaction.

In block 608, the transaction management controller 112 receives therequested payment card data from the POI device 124. In someembodiments, the received payment card data includes a payment cardnumber associated with a payment card used for the payment transaction.It should be appreciated, however, that the payment card data caninclude any other type of data associated with a payment transaction. Insome embodiments, in block 610, the transaction management controller112 receives any payment options selected by a consumer via the POIdevice 124.

In block 612, the transaction management controller 112 inserts orotherwise incorporates the transaction amount received from the businessmanagement engine 114 and the payment card data (e.g., the payment cardnumber, etc.) received from the POI device 124 into a paymentauthorization request message. In some embodiments, the paymentauthorization request message can be embodied as a HTTP message. Itshould be appreciated, however, that the payment authorization requestmessage can be embodied as any other type of message, in otherembodiments.

In block 614, the transaction management controller 112 transmits thepayment authorization request message to the payment network 130. Asdiscussed, the payment network 130 can include a payment gatewaycommunicatively coupled thereto configured to facilitate the transactionmanagement controller 112 in processing payment transactions, in someembodiments. The payment network 130 can be configured to communicatewith an issuer processor and/or and issuer financial institution and,based on the payment authorization request message, generate a paymentauthorization response message. In block 616, the transaction managementcontroller 112 receives the payment authorization response message fromthe payment network 130 (or a payment gateway communicatively coupledthereto). In some embodiments, the payment authorization responsemessage can be embodied as a HTTP message. It should be appreciated,however, that the payment authorization response message can be embodiedas any other type of message, in other embodiments.

Subsequently, in block 618, the transaction management controller 112finalizes the payment transaction and, in some embodiments, the paymentauthorization response message with the POI device 124. For example, insome embodiments, the transaction management controller 112 can instructthe POI device 124 to capture a signature for the payment transaction.In such embodiments, the transaction management controller 112 canreceive captured signature data from the POI device 124. Additionally,in such embodiments, the payment authorization response message can bemodified or augmented to include a byte array of the captured signaturedata. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, thetransaction management controller 112 can instruct the POI device 124 towrite payment transaction data or account data back to an integratedcircuit payment card used for a particular payment transaction.

In block 620, the transaction management controller 112 transmits thefinalized payment authorization response message to the businessmanagement engine 114. In some embodiments, the business managementengine 114 generates a receipt for the payment transaction based atleast in part on, or otherwise as a function of, the finalized paymentauthorization response message received from the transaction managementcontroller 112. In such embodiments, the business management engine 114can be configured to print the generated receipt via a receipt printercommunicatively coupled thereto.

Referring now to FIG. 7 , a method 700 that may be executed by thetransaction management controller 112 for modifying payment processingfeatures begins with block 702. In block 702, the transaction managementcontroller 112 receives a feature modification message from theconfiguration device 116. The feature modification message includesconfiguration data or instructions to at least one of add or modify alocal payment processing feature of the transaction managementcontroller 112 and/or other devices of the systems 100, 300, 400 (e.g.,the POI device 124).

In block 704, the transaction management controller 112 modifies one ormore local payment processing features based at least in part on, orotherwise as a function of, the received feature modification message.For example, in some embodiments, the transaction management controller112 can, in block 706, toggle “on” or “off” (e.g., enable or disable)one or more local features based on the configuration data of thereceived feature modification message. In that way, the transactionmanagement controller 112 (or other devices of the systems 100, 200,300) can be remotely managed and configured.

Some of the figures can include a flow diagram. Although such figurescan include a particular logic flow, it can be appreciated that thelogic flow merely provides an exemplary implementation of the generalfunctionality. Further, the logic flow does not necessarily have to beexecuted in the order presented unless otherwise indicated. In addition,the logic flow can be implemented by a hardware element, a softwareelement executed by a computer, a firmware element embedded in hardware,or any combination thereof.

The foregoing description of embodiments and examples has been presentedfor purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to beexhaustive or limiting to the forms described. Numerous modificationsare possible in light of the above teachings. Some of thosemodifications have been discussed, and others will be understood bythose skilled in the art. The embodiments were chosen and described inorder to best illustrate principles of various embodiments as are suitedto particular uses contemplated. The scope is, of course, not limited tothe examples set forth herein, but can be employed in any number ofapplications and equivalent devices by those of ordinary skill in theart. Rather it is hereby intended the scope of the invention to bedefined by the claims appended hereto.

1-30. (canceled)
 31. A method for remotely managing paymentauthorization request messaging for payment transactions, the methodcomprising: receiving, by a transaction management controller and from abusiness management engine, a transaction amount for a paymenttransaction, the payment transaction based on a purchase transactioninitiated by a point-of-sale (POS) device of a merchant-specificenvironment, and the transaction amount for insertion by the transactionmanagement controller into a payment authorization request message;requesting, by the transaction management controller and from a cardreader of the merchant-specific environment, payment card data for thepayment authorization request message, wherein the business managementengine and the POS device are communicatively isolated from the cardreader; receiving, by the transaction management controller and from thecard reader, the requested payment card data for insertion by thetransaction management controller into the payment authorization requestmessage; inserting, by the transaction management controller, thepayment card data received from the card reader and the transactionamount received from the business management engine into the paymentauthorization request message; transmitting, by the transactionmanagement controller and to a payment network, the paymentauthorization request message; receiving, by the transaction managementcontroller and from the payment network, a payment authorizationresponse message for the payment authorization request message; andtransmitting, by the transaction management controller and to thebusiness management engine, the payment authorization response message.32. The method of claim 31, further comprising: dynamically controllingremotely, during processing of the payment transaction, by a processorof the transaction management controller located remotely from themerchant-specific environment, an interactive functionality of the cardreader of the merchant-specific environment to display one or more userinterface elements for specifying payment transaction processing optionsadditional to one or more original payment transaction processingoptions present on the card reader.
 33. The method of claim 31, whereinthe authorization request message and the authorization response messagecomprise Hypertext Transfer Protocol messages.
 34. The method of claim31, further comprising: receiving, by the transaction managementcontroller and from the business management engine, product scan dataand corresponding price data for the purchase transaction; and managing,by the transaction management controller, display of the product scandata and corresponding price data on the card reader.
 35. The method ofclaim 31, further comprising: receiving, by the transaction managementcontroller, a feature modification message from a configuration device.36. The method of claim 35, wherein the feature modification messagecomprises configuration data to at least one of modify or add a featureof the card reader.
 37. The method of claim 36, wherein to at least oneof modify or add the feature of the card reader comprises to toggle onor toggle off the feature of the card reader based at least in part onthe configuration data of the feature modification message, and whereinthe feature corresponds to a driver configuration of the card reader.38. A transaction management controller comprising: a memory configuredto store instructions; and a processor configured to execute theinstructions to perform operations comprising: receiving, from abusiness management engine, a transaction amount for a paymenttransaction, the payment transaction based on a purchase transactioninitiated by a point-of-sale (POS) device of a merchant-specificenvironment, and the transaction amount for insertion by the transactionmanagement controller into a payment authorization request message;requesting, from a card reader of the merchant-specific environment,payment card data for the payment authorization request message, whereinthe business management engine and the POS device are communicativelyisolated from the card reader; receiving, from the card reader, therequested payment card data for insertion by the transaction managementcontroller into the payment authorization request message; inserting thepayment card data received from the card reader and the transactionamount received from the business management engine into the paymentauthorization request message; transmitting, to a payment network, thepayment authorization request message; receiving, from the paymentnetwork, a payment authorization response message for the paymentauthorization request message; and transmitting, to the businessmanagement engine, the payment authorization response message.
 39. Thetransaction management controller of claim 38, wherein the operationsfurther comprise: dynamically controlling remotely, during processing ofthe payment transaction, by the processor of the transaction managementcontroller located remotely from the merchant-specific environment, aninteractive functionality of the card reader of the merchant-specificenvironment to display one or more user interface elements forspecifying payment transaction processing options additional to one ormore original payment transaction processing options present on the cardreader.
 40. The transaction management controller of claim 38, whereinthe authorization request message and the authorization response messagecomprise Hypertext Transfer Protocol messages.
 41. The transactionmanagement controller of claim 38, wherein the operations furthercomprise: receiving, from the business management engine, product scandata and corresponding price data for the purchase transaction; andmanaging display of the product scan data and corresponding price dataon the card reader.
 42. The transaction management controller of claim38, wherein the operations further comprise: receiving, by thetransaction management controller, a feature modification message from aconfiguration device.
 43. The transaction management controller of claim42, wherein the feature modification message comprises configurationdata to at least one of modify or add a feature of the card reader. 44.The transaction management controller of claim 43, wherein to at leastone of modify or add the feature of the card reader comprises to toggleon or toggle off the feature of the card reader based at least in parton the configuration data of the feature modification message, andwherein the feature corresponds to a driver configuration of the cardreader.
 45. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storinginstructions that, when executed by a processor of a transactionmanagement controller, cause the transaction management controller toperform operations comprising: receiving, from a business managementengine, a transaction amount for a payment transaction, the paymenttransaction based on a purchase transaction initiated by a point-of-sale(POS) device of a merchant-specific environment, and the transactionamount for insertion by the transaction management controller into apayment authorization request message; requesting, from a card reader ofthe merchant-specific environment, payment card data for the paymentauthorization request message, wherein the business management engineand the POS device are communicatively isolated from the card reader;receiving, from the card reader, the requested payment card data forinsertion by the transaction management controller into the paymentauthorization request message; inserting the payment card data receivedfrom the card reader and the transaction amount received from thebusiness management engine into the payment authorization requestmessage; transmitting, to a payment network, the payment authorizationrequest message; receiving, from the payment network, a paymentauthorization response message for the payment authorization requestmessage; and transmitting, to the business management engine, thepayment authorization response message.
 46. The non-transitorycomputer-readable medium of claim 45, wherein the operations furthercomprise: dynamically controlling remotely, during processing of thepayment transaction, by a processor of the transaction managementcontroller located remotely from the merchant-specific environment, aninteractive functionality of the card reader of the merchant-specificenvironment to display one or more user interface elements forspecifying payment transaction processing options additional to one ormore original payment transaction processing options present on the cardreader.
 47. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 45,wherein the authorization request message and the authorization responsemessage comprise Hypertext Transfer Protocol messages.
 48. Thenon-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 45, wherein theoperations further comprise: receiving, from the business managementengine, product scan data and corresponding price data for the purchasetransaction; and managing display of the product scan data andcorresponding price data on the card reader.
 49. The non-transitorycomputer-readable medium of claim 45, wherein the operations furthercomprise: receiving, by the transaction management controller, a featuremodification message from a configuration device.
 50. The non-transitorycomputer-readable medium of claim 49, wherein the feature modificationmessage comprises configuration data to at least one of modify or add afeature of the card reader, wherein to at least one of modify or add thefeature of the card reader comprises to toggle on or toggle off thefeature of the card reader based at least in part on the configurationdata of the feature modification message, and wherein the featurecorresponds to a driver configuration of the card reader.